XN000022-1992-05-08 — Page 18

FRIDAY, MAY 8, 1992

17

INTERNATIONAL TEXTILES AND CLOTHING BUREAU PUBLISHES COMMUNIQUE

*

THE INTERNATIONAL TEXTILES AND CLOTHING BUREAU (ITCB), IN A COMMUNIQUE PUBLISHED TODAY (FRIDAY) IN SHANGHAI, CALLED ON ALL PARTICIPANTS OF THE URUGUAY ROUND NEGOTIATIONS TO DEMONSTRATE THEIR POLITICAL WILL FOR THE ATTAINMENT OF AN EARLY SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE ROUND WITH BALANCED RESULTS.

THE FIVE-DAY ANNUAL COUNCIL MEETING OF ITCB, IN WHICH A HONG KONG DELEGATION LED BY THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF TRADE, MR DONALD TSANG, HAS BEEN TAKING PART, ENDED TODAY.

FULL TEXT OF THE ITCB COMMUNIQUE IS AS FOLLOWS:

"AT THE INVITATION OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA, THE COUNCIL OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE INTERNATIONAL TEXTILES AND CLOTHING BUREAU HELD ITS SIXTEENTH SESSION AT SHANGHAI FROM MAY 4 TO 8, 1992.

OF THE MINISTRY

THE SESSION WAS INAUGURATED BY VICE-MINISTER OF FOREIGN ECONOMIC RELATIONS AND TRADE (MOFERT), PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA, MR TONG ZHIGUANG.

THE SESSION ELECTED

PRESIDE OVER THE MEETING.

VICE-MINISTER, MR TONG ZHIGUANG, TO

IT ALSO ELECTED AMBASSADOR RODRIGO BARZUNA {COSTA RICA) AND AMBASSADOR SAM HOON KIM (KOREA) AS VICE-CHAIRMEN.

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR-GENERAL, GATT MR ARIF HUSSAIN, ADDRESSED

THE SESSION.

THE

IN ADDITION, IT RECEIVED A CONTRIBUTION FROM REPRESENTATIVE OF UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT (UNCTAD).

IT ALSO BENEFITED FROM PRESENTATIONS BY REPRESENTATIVES RETAILERS' AND IMPORTERS' ASSOCIATIONS OF DEVELOPED COUNTRIES.

THE COUNCIL REVIEWED THE STATE OF NEGOTIATIONS.

OF

THE URUGUAY ROUND

WHILE NOTING A PERCEPTIBLE LOSS OF MOMENTUM DUE TO THE DIFFERENCES AMONG THE MAJOR TRADING ENTITIES IN OTHER AREAS, THE COUNCIL REITERATED ITS COMMITMENT TO AN EARLY SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE ROUND WITH BALANCED RESULTS, AND URGED ALL PARTICIPANTS OF THE ROUND TO DEMONSTRATE THEIR POLITICAL WILL FOR THE ATTAINMENT OF THIS OBJECTIVE.

AT THE PRESENT STAGE OF NEGOTIATIONS IN THE URUGUAY ROUND, IT IS NOT CLEAR WHEN ITS TEXTILE AGREEMENT WOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR IMPLEMENTATION.

THE MULTI-FIBRE ARRANGEMENT (MFA) IS DUE TO EXPIRE ON DECEMBER 31, 1992. IN THIS CONTEXT, THE COUNCIL RECOGNISED THAT A NEED MIGHT ARISE FOR AN INTERIM ARRANGEMENT.

/IT DIRECTED